6 January 2012

Born in 1927 in California, Betty Fussell has made her home in New York's Greenwich Village for decades. She lectures at museums, universities, state fairs, corn festivals, historical societies and culinary groups. In 1999, her food memoir, My Kitchen Wars, traced her life from her childhood, through her marriage to her college sweetheart, her trials as an academic wife, her own academic career and the women's movement. She gained wider success when she found her essential subject...food. I for one am glad she did as she explores the culture of America.

Like many other hard-core foodies, Betty Fussell came to the food world by the back door. With a PhD in English Literature teaching Shakespeare and assorted classics, decades of travel through foreign countries, raising two children, hundreds of cats, and an ex-husband are all a springboard for writing about food. Her life found a focus when she combined her typewriter with her kitchen.

Betty Fussell

Betty Fussell is a writer who is also a home cook, one who loves the sensuousness of words as much as the sensuality of food. As a writer, she sees food as a window into the culture of America. As a cook, she likes recipes that are simple, improvisatory, fresh, and tasty, something anyone could do with no more than a sharp knife, a skillet and a few good fresh ingredients. Betty is a passionate author who has written numerous articles and 11 books. She is best known for I Hear America Cooking and the epic The Story of Corn.

The recipe below is featured in Raising Steaks which she describes as "a spirited ride across America on the rail of our most iconic food. She says,

"When we bite into a steak's charred crust and tender pink interior, we bite into contradictions that have branded our national identity from the start. We taste the colliding fantasies of British pastoralists in land wars between a wet weather East and desert West. We savour the ideas of wilderness and progress that clashed when we replaced buffalo and cattle, and then cowboys with industrial machines. We take in the contradictions of rugged individualism nd the corporate technology that we use to breed, feed, slaughter, package, and distribute the animals we turn into meat. And we participate - as do the ranchers and chefs, feedlot operators and rodeo stars, boot makers and scientists."

One of our simple pleasures in life is navigating the blogging community and participating where we can. Our group has now passed the halfway point on the list of Gourmet Live's50 Women Game Changers. The past six months have flown by as we experiment with dishes from each of the 50 influential women on "the list." Whether you agree or disagree with the authors chosen fifty and their order it has been an enjoyable and creative outlet to cook from the masters and those we admire. There have even a few bloggers on the list. We have checked out books from the library, borrowed cookbooks from friends, surfed the Internet and browsed our own cookbook collections seeking that one recipe that will highlight that weeks outstanding woman. This group is spearheaded by my favourite well-travelled blogger Mary of One Perfect Bite who back in June invited bloggers to travel along on a culinary journey throughout the year. It is still not too late to join in in 2012, so if you would like to learn new techniques and be creative in the kitchen please contact Mary.

"A creamy gravy enriched with cheese give us Philadelphia's famed cheese steak, which has managed to retain its historic authenticity in places like Judy Wick's White Dog Café, using citified baguettes or hoagie rolls rather than country biscuits."

**White Dog Café's Philly Cheese Steak**from Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef (2008)

Heat the oil in a large non-reactive sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of the salt and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flank steak and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and sauté until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over top, cover the pan and set aside until the cheese melts, around 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the baguettes lengthwise. Place, cut side down on a baking sheet, and toast until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.

Fill the baguettes with the meat and cheese. Cut each into two portions. Serve immediately—with or without ketchup.

Serves 4

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

This is BEYOND fantastic, Val. I can't wait to read that books since it's waiting for me on my night stand...but what I'd really love is that sandwich. It made my empty belly grumble furiously this morning!

I have never had a Philly cheese steak. I don't know how that happened. Especially as a New Yorker who often went to Philly. Now with you and Betty - I can make my own - and will. Grand posting of an extraordinary woman.

I love a Philly cheeseteak sandwich, but I love even more this post! Betty Fussell must have been one intriguing woman. (I have to teach Shakespeare this spring; maybe Betty's muse will help me there and with my blog writing!)

I think I like this post the best so far regarding these 50 women, because that quote on steak says it all. It's the best and the worst of American food life. I'm glad there is this trend back to grass fed, and humane raising of animals. I'm glad there are home cooks who have and are making a difference. That includes you. I might join this thing. It's so fascinating.

This really has been a fascinating excercise Angela. We have act learned so much, not just about each of these individual women and their lives but new techniques. We have been forced to think outside of the box and recreate magic in our own kitchens.

Your Philly Cheese cake sandwich looks delicious! I learned even more about Betty Fussell reading your post today...she's an amazing woman with a pretty amazing background. So glad I joined this group!annie

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.